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Elaine Greenspahn Rosenthal died 6 January 2014 in San Mateo, California following a series of strokes.

Elaine's passion for Quattrocento Italy stemmed from her travels with her husband, Homer. Following his death, Elaine completed her undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley under the supervision of Gene Brucker. She continued her sociohistorical research of Renaissance Florence with Nicolai Rubinstein at the University of London, earning her Ph.D in 1988. Her dissertation explored lineage bonds in fifteenth-century Florence. The Giovanni, Parenti, and Petrucci became part of her family as she immersed herself in the Florentine archives, the academic community in Florence, and her life in her flat on the Piazza Santa Croce. Her contribution to Renaissance Studies in Honour of Nicolai Rubinstein, " The Position of Women in Renaissance Florence: Neither Autonomy nor Subjugation," is a frequently cited work. Dr. Rosenthal collaborated on making "The Memoirs by Fogligno, Son of Conte, Grandson of Averardo II of the Medici Family of Florence" accessible to other scholars. Other contributions to her field include the sharing of unknown indices in Florentine archives and exploring the relations between Jews and Christians in early modern Florence. She actively participated in RSA conferences and contributed articles to Renaissance Quarterly as well as publications such as the Journal of Interdisciplinary History.

A gracious, generous, and loving friend and mother; Elaine was predeceased by her husband, Homer, and her son, Douglas. She is survived by her daughter Tris Harms (Herb Harms) and their children Haley and Carl, her daughter-in-law Barbara Rosenthal and children Mara and Alice, and her sister Donna Wasser and her children.